A Leg to Stand On / Oliver Sacks / 222 pp.

A Leg to Stand On is an early book of Sacks, his third. In this book, he tells the story of how, when mountain climbing, he severely hurt his leg and had to “row” himself down the mountain. The story focuses on his recovery, chronicling his difficulties and linking them to difficulties faced by many patients with similar injuries. For example, with his leg having undergone surgery and in a cast, Sacks experiences a disconnect from it - not believing it is his leg. Also, when his leg is well enough to walk on, his long bed-rest has caused him to forget how to walk until he hears a certain song. I liked how Sacks used his own experiences to validate the common but overlooked experiences of others in similar situations.

Amazon, MERLIN, DBRL